The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 276, 27 June 1888, Page 4

The Garden.

Selecting Fruit Trees. As the planting season is now on, a iew words to amatcuis on the selecting of trees may be valuable. Where the orchard can only be planted on a Limited space a judicious selection of trees should be made so as to prolong the period in which ripe Iruit can be gathered. With judgment it_ is possible to select fruit tree* that will give a continual succession of ripe fruit froat January till May. Say, for instance, that twelve apple trees are required. I would purchase two early varieties, four intermediate, and six Htc varieties. The two early ones could bo used from the trees: some of the intermediate varieties the same, others of them would keep till the late varieties weie lit for use. The late varie tic* would do dining May, and if judiciously packed away the lipeninsr of the fi nit in the house could take place during the whole of the winter. Thus with twehe \arictics you would have a succession of fniit for at least si\ month*. Am one who intends to plant for maikef should plant almo-t entirely the late \aiietie* and those that are know n to be good keepers : for such will always command a <_>ood price in New Zealand markets. They will also be the best for export to the English marker, as they will stand the long journey best. 1 j ; ; \ '

Trees for Shelter. This is a sublet which should iccei\e careful attention from all who either want to ha\e an orchaid or garden, or grow plants in exposed situations. Theie are *ome situation* around Auckland (especially those that are open to the cold, cutting. westerly winds) where it. is almost, impossible to grow anything till shekel i* puv vided. Now, it attention i* gnen to rhe-e place-, you will see that ucaily eveiything that is planted remains- stationary : on the windward side any \oung shoots get nipped back ; no top is made : all the grow th seemto be made tow aids the leeward side, and in a horizontal diieciion. The tiee seems not to ha\ c the powei to make upnjjht growth, the cold, sleeping winds checknm every endeavour in this direction. Xow. by a judicious choice of plant- (not altogether vaueties), the diihcultit-s ot planting in exposel positions can be irot o\ei. Trees to be planted on such situations, should only be small ones, of a healths, hauly growth, not much o^el a loot in height. In lifting -uch tiees. not many of the root* 01 ribre= aie cut, and when planted out the ftbres that arelett will soon take to the soil. The cut 100N will also soon make more fibre-, which will a*sist the tiee. In the meantime, the tree it*elt doe* not pie sent much resistance, and when the waim. genial weather of spiing -ets in the libie> will be able to rind «utHcient to cause the tree to hold its own, and in the summer it will make a little growth, which will be sufficiently hardened off to withstand the cutting winds of the following wintei. In one year you w ill thus be able to establish a tree that will grow eveiy year, making more growth till the blanches not only shelter one another, but will protect am thing that ma) be planted within then shelter. On exposed .situations, uheie lon a-, tall, lanky, stiong-giown trees aic planted, the lesiilt is disa.stiou*. The tie--in being lifted get mo-t of the root- cut. losing 'most of their nbies, and when planted out, the situation, not being a uaini one, will not allow of the formation of newones. The tall, lanky -tern and Inanche* present a large *mface to the cold biast, the result of which is stunting at once. The spting cere- on —no grow th ; the summer, the same, the tiee not haung the power to inciease it- \italitv. Only a slow lingering -united life i= before it, and the expense and trouble vi planting aie thrown away without ie=ult In purchasing tree* for exposed situations, always obtain small, healthy, haidy-grown plant-, with plenty of health\ loot- Plant them thickly together, -o that they may aoon piovide shelter. After planting, see that each plant i* liimly staked, -o a- to pie\ent the-lightest wind-wawn:; neai the loot-. Wicie"ptuel\ .-hc-Hei tteo arc tequued 1 think that l'imi-, insigni= and C\pie—umaeroeaipi aic the be-t. a^ they are both hardy md stand cutting bia-ts. Another point i- that when digging the holes for planting )ou -huuld make them laigc and dt.jp, about four fett in diametei and about two fece deep, -o a^ to gi\e young loot- some chance of gutting established in labouieil -,oil at ihst.

The Codlin Moth Act. Xeirly all the orcbanli-t- in the neighbourhood of Auckland ate gi%ing cxpie-~s sion in strong term* to -omu of the piowsions in the Codlin -Moth Act ju-t thrown out b% the Lc^Math l. Council, and there i- not the -lightest doubt but that the enforcing of a tax on clean orchards or districts i.- just going a little 100 iar. # A large nurnbci of our fiuittriowei- aic doing the be-t they can to keep then tiee- clean, and all the' inspectors that might bo appointed could not make them do raoie. Such being the ca-e, it would not only be a hardship, but an injustice, to enforcefui tlu r expense upon them. At the -arne time it is a well-known fact that a number posses--ing fruit tiees will not take the tiouble to Keep the pe=t under. It i-, upon this clafcof fruitgrowers that all the expen-e of providing inspection should fall. Inspectors tor districts =hould be appointed, and on information from two or moie fiuitgroucis in the district the 01 chard complained of should receive a A'hit. If such orchard be what can be called clean, then the informants should pay a fixed fee to the in.-pector. On the other hand, if the orchaid is infected with insect pests the fee should be paid by fche owner of such, and the inspector should have power to enforce .steps being at once taken to get rid of them a» soon as possible All fee=. or other expense- incurred by the inspector should in the meantime be chaigeJ on the own&r or occupier for the time being of such orchard. Some such system a^ the abo\e would pro\e an effective check on one grower being able to persecute his neighbour. At the same time, it would eiibctually compel all growers to take proper steps to clean their trees. Of course, if such « not done, one dirty orcbardi>t will be able to grow and supply sufficient codlin moth- to .supply hi.s whole district. .Placing restrictions upon the sale of infected fruit would be also a splendid clause, but it does not go far enough, as there are hundreds who only possess a few trees and these do not want to sell fruit, as they have just sufficient for their own requirement*. Still those small orchards are just sufficiently numerous to keep up a good healthy stock of moth^ to be distributed annually. The whole strength and energy of growers^ for market should be made in the direction of compelling all growers to take ordinary steps to keep their trees clean, and where compulsion is necessary, all expense of such compulsion should fall on the possessor of the infected trees. District associations should be formed, a small annual fee being paid for membership. Members could then send in the names of the owners of any infecbed orchard to the secretary of such associations. The association could then put the compulsory clauses of the Act into operation. Last season being a cold comparatively sunless one, very few insect peets gave so much trouble as in previous

seasons that were brighter and warmer. Next season, if it is a warm one, will perhaps show a number of fruit-growers that somo form of compulsion is lequired so as to keep dirty orchards from distributing their pests on those who would try to koep clea4i. ,

Interesting Items. Thorough sanitary appointments are os- ; scntial in the construction of a sty or pig- i gory. The manure should, each day, be remo\ed to some distance from the hog pen, and the Malls and tioughs always be kopt clean and sweet. Pigs should themselves be kept clean and never subjected to kicks or blows of any kind. lien manure, and also hog manuro, make a splendid fcitiliscr for onions, and tho application of from fifteen to twentyfive bushels of it to tho acre will be found of ure.it \aluo iv dc->tioying the laiv.o of injurious insects- and genus of no\iou.•\\eeds. It i> *aid that I'aiis green applied to rosebushes and grape \ines infested with ro»o bugs will kill the insects as surely as it docs the potato bug, when used on potato plants. The application can bedry, mixed with tlour or land plaster, or iv liquid form, mixed with water, and sprinkled on, in tho same manner as for the potato bug. Soils may be separated into two distinct general elas-os namely, hea\y soils and lioht soils.. The first clas-s embiaces all those foils therein there is a predominate.a of elt} ; to U»t second cla.s>, belong all tln^o -.oils \a herein there is an execs.-, ol sand and gi.nel. Heavy soiL^ are tti>tingui>heil for their evco^t\o moisture, tenacity, soft, sticky nature when wet, and haul, brilt'e nature when diy. They are generally feitile, not e.wly worn out, and aie bc-r- adapted tor wheat, oats.. Indian com, ha) ami giaj?*e?>. Light soils arc distinguished kit' their lightne.vs liability, diyne--., wanuth aiul [nnosity. The} aie p.uticula'l} adaptod to rye, barley, buckw heat and the tap loot pLmts, Micha*- bcet>, caitot-, tumii^, p;u^ni|)>, cloxor, vine, tieet, etc.